"THANK YOU so much for your support of the Watson College of Education! It is truly deeply appreciated."

The Watson College of Education is recognized throughout the state and nationally as an outstanding place to study and work. We have terrific faculty and staff who provide excellent academic degree programs, impactful research, and exceptional university and community engagement. We are able to recruit highly qualified students to our undergraduate and graduate programs, in part because of the strong reputation for academic excellence that the University of North Carolina Wilmington enjoys. Our home is an incredible building that opened in February 2005. The education building houses the North Carolina Teachers Legacy Hall in its atrium, with nine niches: teaching tools, one-room schoolhouse, school bus, awards, teachers/principals of the year, historical timeline/current events, school desks, films that teach, and books with donors' names.

We are very proud of our many accomplishments, on and beyond. At the same time, as a public university, less than half of our operating budget is financed by the state. A good deal of our work has to be funded from external sources. Competitive grants from state and federal governmental agencies and private foundations are one way for us to secure such support, and we actively seek such funding. Another vital source of support is gifts from alumni, friends and private foundations. We especially appreciate such generosity as it represents personal giving to work important to our partners and friends. These contributions directly benefit our academic programs, our undergraduate and graduate students, our faculty and staff, and our many initiatives in schools and communities.

The financial challenges ahead loom large for us but we are confident that, with your continued support, we can continue to do great things in all facets of our work. Nevertheless, the need for support continues and in fact intensifies. See right column for examples of giving opportunities >